Iraq needs two years to wean itself off Iranian gas – energy official

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraq needs at least two years to boost the country’s gas production to stop importing Iranian gas used to feed its power stations, a senior Iraqi energy official said on Thursday.

Hayan Abdul Ghani, head of state-run South Gas Co. (SGC), told reporters that Iraq’s gas output is expected to reach 1.3 million cubic feet per day by the end of 2020, an increase of 400 mcf/d from current levels.

“Iraq’s current production of gas is not enough to meet our power stations’ demand and therefore we are still importing gas from Iran. We need at least 24 months to operate new gas projects and start production,” he said.